Aside from being the center of Western culture, art, thought, politics and research for over 800 years, France remains a major presence in the modern world and continues to be a huge contributor to the fields of science, art, cinema, fashion, technology, politics, philosophy, archeology, trade and economics. Students studying in France today can benefit from a variety of opportunities and exciting developments in the French culture and economy.
France is a developed country and possesses the fifth largest economy by nominal GDP and eighth largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is the most visited country in the world, receiving 82 million foreign tourists annually.France is one of the founding members of the European Union, and has the largest land area of all members. It is also a founding member of the United Nations, and a member of the Francophonie, the G8, G20, NATO, OECD, WTO and the Latin Union. It is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, possesses the third largest number of nuclear weapons in the world and the largest number of nuclear power plants in the European Union.
France is the largest state in the European Union by area and the third largest in Europe behind Russia and Ukraine. It would be second if its extra-European territories like French Guiana were included. France has been a major power for many centuries with strong economic, cultural, military and political influence. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Pacific islands.
When the point of education is taken into consideration, to French it is a world tradition to welcome foreign students. The French education has a history which takes you back to 800 years and the students from all over come to France to study. Today, French universities have added a new dimension to their higher education. In addition to a good educational experience, studying in France leads to good career opportunities internationally after graduation. France is better known for its high level of technological development, culture and reputation in the education system, which attracts number of young aspirants here every academic year.